Making Believe
by kaitlin.perkins42
Summary: After Sirius' death Harry is being abused by his uncle. He learns comfort comes in many forms. Warnings are in the fic
1. You've Left Now

Title: You've Left Now  
Rating: PG-13 (rape mentioned)  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter has never, nor will he ever, belonged to me. Sadly. Anyone/where you recognize belongs to the Goddess, JKR. No infringement intended.  
A/N: For all of you waiting for a new chapter: it's coming!! I promise. I've gotten my muse back, and I'm on a friggin' role. Shall be up soon. In the meantime, enjoy this newly refurbished chapter.

* * *

_Let's pretend you didn't die. Let's make believe you're still here and my life isn't what they've made it. Let's make like Dumbledore didn't walk in right after my Uncle finished with me and that instead I was safe with you. Let's imagine that you were still the only one who knew that painful secret and not the entire wizarding community. Let's pretend it wasn't Lupin who wiped away the tears, keeping the bad dreams at bay. Let's pretend it was you._

I was lying on the floor, just days before my seventeenth birthday. I gurgled, choking on the metallic tasting liquid in my throat. It collected in a crust on my cheek. I felt cool air on my thighs and shifted, trying to put myself in a more covered position without further aggravating any of my injuries. Closing my eyes to the room, I put my hands on my stomach while my breakfast clawed its way up. The smell of vomit assaulting my nostrils was too much, every one of my nerves was already screaming. I rolled my head to the other side and, with a small jump of astonishment, hear something crack.

But when no pain came, I realized it was the door to my room being opened and I cringed, expecting my uncle; this wouldn't be the first time he came back for seconds...or thirds. Instead, I heard an intake of breath and felt a cool, thin hand on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I should have checked up on you sooner, but we just thought Hedwig got lost in the storm. When she didn't show up after the skies cleared, well..." I sensed someone bending over me and curled into a tighter ball, embarrassed to be found this way. Maybe if I squeezed my eyes shut even further, it would be like he wasn't there. He shook me lightly. "Harry?" I tossed my head and mumbled. "Harry, come now. It will be alright." He patted me lightly and tried to help me stand. I crouched low and tried to curl into a vertical ball - still hiding myself - or attempting to. Remus turned and inspected Hedwig's cage, giving me time to dress. I just stood there; there was no energy in me to move. After a moment, my former professor turned and looked sadly at me. Inside, I was shredded to pieces, but instead of collapsing on the floor, like I would have preferred to, I stood still and stared into his amber eyes.

Remus tugged me to my bed and I fell forcefully, with an audible "oomph!" onto the edge of the old mattress. "I never thought the day would come that I do this, Harry, I need you to hold your arms above your head, if it doesn't hurt too much."I obeyed, not really considering what he was doing, what was happening, and he slipped a shirt over my head. It took a long time to finish pulling my clothing on, but for the first time, I was thankful to the Dursleys for giving me all of Dudley's old clothing. It was easy to slip it over my broken form and before too long, Remus was holding me close and we had apparated to the front stair outside of Grimmauld place.

Lupin told me that my trunk and Hedwig would already be here, in my old room. "You must be starving?" he winced – realizing only too late how true his words were. "I just have to go and owl the rest of the Order, let them know you're okay. They're all in a right state – particularly Molly... Then I'll come join you in the kitchen. Okay?" I nodded dumbly, trying not to take in my surroundings. Guilt was assuaging me now – I remembered Sirius and Kreacher. My heart was burning a hole in my chest, and I thought I might rather be at the Dursleys' anyway. But still, my feet carried me down the path that I already knew. I quietly tiptoed past Sirius' mother and walked downstairs to the kitchen. It was dark and dank, with no windows through which to air it out. There was a plate sitting on the table, still warm. Mincemeat pie and potatoes. I was tempted to take a bite, but the fear of retribution stilled my hands. After a while, Lupin came in. "Oh, there's nothing to eat, is there?" He looked about him, but eventually gave up and pushed the plate on the table towards me. Spearing one of the small, round potatoes with my fork, I lifted it to my lips, biting into it. The soft flesh tore between my teeth and the meat of the vegetable broke free satisfyingly in my mouth.

Lupin sat down across from me, a mug of tea clamped in his hands. "What's happened, Harry?" I glanced at him, and upon noticing I had tea, as well, become conscious of just how thirsty I was. After swallowing a mouthful of the steaming tea, I winced and glared at him.

"What do you mean?"

He ran his finger around the rim of his mug and sighed. "After finding you like that, you know that I can't just let this go. I know something's wrong. But I don't want to make any assumptions: I know from experience how harmful those can be. I'd like you to tell me what's happening, here."

I closed my eyes, wishing I could just block out the last two weeks and be back at school with Ron and Hermione. Everything had seemed to go downhill since the Department of Mysteries. Hot tears slipped down my cheeks, off the bridge of my nose and into my mouth. Lupin reached across the scrubbed wood and ran a scarred hand through my hair' the comforting gesture sent shivers down my spine, and a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the tea.

"Harry, I know part of this has to do with Sirius. And when it comes to him, I know just what you're going through. I lost him once, and got him back just to lose him a second time. I loved him. I know how much it hurts."

I sucked in a breath and pushed my plate away before running up the stairs. I didn't hear Lupin follow me when I went to his room. I tugged off my shoes and jeans with unusual fervour, causing pain to flare up in my chest. Ignoring the ache, I climbed into the bed. As I snuggled between the sheets, I drew in his scent: sweat, along with the sweet smell of lavender. I pulled the bedding tight around my body and shut my eyes. When I woke up and rolled over, Lupin lying was next to me, reclined on his pillow. It seemed he wasn't giving up his bed for me. He was reading a book, bound in red leather with a phoenix stamped neatly on the spine. He glanced quickly at me before looking back at his book, but then did a double take and smiled when he saw I was blinking blearily at him. He put the book down and rolled on his side. His chest was bare, but I could see the waistband of his pyjama pants peeking over the edge of the blanket. "Ready?"

My voice caught in my throat and I croaked, "I...I guess so."

He motioned for me to move closer, and I shifted over the soft sheets, worn down with years of use. He wrapped an arm tightly around me, my head nestling into his shoulder, "Go ahead."

I told him what I could force out, but the words were like barbed wire working their way through my throat. They tore as they came up, too painful to let out, but agonizing to hold it. I watched the bedding most of the time, looking at the uneven stitching. Eventually he pushed me away cupped my chin. "Harry, I hate to ask this, but I think you should tell someone. Did your uncle rape you?" I looked at his stomach, coated in a fine layer of honey coloured hair. I tried answer, but the wire caught, and tugged on my tonsils, making me gag lightly. "Harry?"I nodded slightly, hoping he wouldn't notice. It was barely visible, but his attuned eyes caught it. "Oh Harry!" He gathered me ever closer in his thin arms and pressed me to his torso. I could feel his heart thumping a rhythm on my face and found it oddly soothing. It made the words come up with less pain.

"I don't know why." I whispered into his chest.

He rubbed my back, "I don't think he does either."

I smiled up at him sadly, "I miss Sirius." I rolled over so my back was to him, wishing that my Godfather had just been the one to hold me, fighting the urge to get up and run away.

He sighed, hurt, "Me too." After a moment's silence, he touched my shoulder, lightly, as if he wasn't sure he wanted to. "Why...Why did you come in _here_?"

I thought for a few seconds, and he removed his hand, thinking I was probably asleep. I found myself at a loss. "I don't know."


	2. Let's Make a Connection

Title: Let's Make a Connection  
Rating: PG-13 (implied rape)  
Disclaimer: All hail JKR. I could never pretend to be her...nor would I, for that matter. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

I was startled awake in the middle of the night and found myself in a cold sweat, my teeth chattering. Lupin was on his side, breathing heavily with his scarred back facing me, a shivering glow cast on it by the moon. He turned over to face me, one hand under his cheek, the other fisted above his head. Wondering what time it was, I slowly rolled over, hoping the bed wouldn't squeak, to look at my watch. The metal bed frame betrayed me, and Lupin snorted, almost awoken by the noise. I hadn't been cognizant that I was holding my breath until I let it out slowly, thankful that I had not disturbed his slumber. The watch read 3:30 am: a blinking, orange reminder of the insomnia that had plagued me since Sirius' death. I closed my eyes, thinking momentarily about him. Then I slipped on my glasses and slid off of the bed. I listened as my steps echoed off the walls of the near empty house.

The bathroom was situated at the end of the hall. I stepped inside and flicked my wand, turning on the gas lamp, the fire dancing inside a glass chamber. I closed the door and sat on the toilet lid, turning the tap, releasing a deluge of water. Sticking my hand under the warm stream, I made sure it wasn't too hot before putting the stopper in the drain and stood up, stripping off my boxers, dropping them into a pile on the floor. I stepped in, filling the tub with my body, slowly sinking into the growing heat. The white porcelain looked grey in the dim light. As I scrubbed soap over my body, the cuts on my ribs sent stinging pain through my abdomen. I choked back a sob, ignoring the stabbing pain as my rear end hit the bottom of the tub, thinking about him violating every aspect of me. I wasn't embarrassed to say I was I virgin before, not that I was saving myself, or anything. It's just that something more important than hormones had always seemed to get in the way. But, now I was embarrassed to say I had lost my virginity. I scrunched my eyes closed, letting a few unwanted tears fall silently into the water. I sank into the warm water and rolled over so my side was on the bottom of the bathtub. My head half submersed under the surface, I breathed out and bubbles formed quickly over my head.

I was faintly aware of the door opening, but really paid it no mind while sinking deeper into the abyss. I could see the light through my eyelids, slowly getting brighter."Harry?" Lupin's voice was thick with sleep.

I rolled - so I was facing him - onto my other side. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No. Since...Since Sirius died...I have trouble..." He trailed off, scratching his head. He looked at me, as though he was searching for some answer as to why he couldn't sleep, before plunking down onto the toilet. "You ok, Harry?"

"No." I closed my eyes again. Maybe he couldn't see the tears in the dim light. I ran a hand through my wet hair.

"What's wrong?"

"I just..." I sighed: this wasn't going to be easy.

"You feel as though your Uncle used you?" He cocked his head to the side.

I nodded; stunned that he could be so right about something he had just found out about. He got off the toilet seat and reached into the tub, pulling me up by my armpits. Once our torsos were level he pulled my into a bear hug. "I know it doesn't seem like it now, but things will be alright. I swear to the Gods, they will be." His hand ran small circles over my back, making me mewl. I sat back, startled by the noise I had let out, and could see a blush (which surely matched mine) rise on Remus' cheeks. "Did you just...make...a noise?"

"Um...Yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck and looked that the intricate design on the tiles. "I don't know where it came from. Sorry."

"No. It's okay; I just...haven't heard that noise in a long time. From anybody." From the back and forth motion of his eyes, I assumed it would be best to inquire as to when he last heard it, and from whom.

_"Uncle Vernon, don't! I cooked it right!" A six year old Harry struggles against a large man, tears running downing his face. "NO!" His hands brace him against the stove, trying to push his body away, struggling to get past his Uncle's strength. Finally his arms give, his elbows collapsing, his behind hits the burner, bright red and searing hot. A high pitched screech echoes through the house and the boy struggles against his Uncle's grip. "Please!" His muscles strain and he writhes, tears rolling down his face, gagging on vomit. Finally, he is lifted, his pants burned to him in a circular way and his uncle sneers when he crawls into a corner, crying._

"Harry?! Harry!" Lupin's hands were on my shoulders, shaking me. I sucked in a gasp and inhaled water. Choking and spluttering, I pushed myself up to look at him. "Harry, are you okay? Your eyes just kind of glazed over, for a minute there, and then you started sinking into the water..."

"I'm fine." I brushed off his worrying fingers, and pressed my palms to my eyes, trying to push away the bad memories. Years and years of pain were hard to forget, but I wondered what had triggered that particular flashback at that particular time. Unable to find the answer in my fatigued mind, I dropped my hands and looked at Remus. "Did your parents abuse you?" I asked him quietly. I was searching for a link, somewhere, a connection.

"No. But I know Sirius' parents weren't easy on him. He never said anything, but I always thought such hatred had to come from a deeper hurt than being the black sheep." He turned, facing the door, arms over his chest, as I climbed out of the bath tub. I wrapped a towel I hadn't noticed earlier around my waist.

"I think that Snape's parents hurt him."

He spun around so quickly, he caught me off guard. "What?" His voice was calm, but his searching eyes were frantic. Was he feeling regret for letting Sirius and my dad torment Snape?

"Shit. Lupin, you've got to give me more warning."

"Sorry..." he was rushed now. Lupin was rarely confused. "But what do you mean?"

"Well, when I was doing Occlumency with him, I saw an image of his father, screaming at his Mum. He was just huddled in the corner crying."

Lupin's face drooped a little, he was shocked. "Wow. Never...never in a million moons."

I nodded before walking towards the door and putting my hand on the knob, "I'm really hungry, could we get some food?"

He looked at me oddly for a moment. "Oh, right, I forgot you didn't eat much when you got here." We walked down the stairs, him in front while I brought up the rear. My hand trailed along the banister on the stairs, a snake-like track in the dust behind my finger, tracing along the wood. I glared at the heads of house elves, thinking of Kreacher. Filthy, stinking, pile of shit. I knew Kreacher couldn't be blamed for Sirius' death, but I felt so guilty: I felt the pain was less when I had another place to lay the blame.

I sat on the wooden bench, running my fingers over the table. Then I stopped, picked up my hand and looked at my index finger: it was bleeding. I stuck it in my mouth and sucked on it. Lupin turned around, "Ok, all-" he stopped dead, wide eyes staring at my mouth, a vacuum over the bleeding finger. "What are you doing?"

I grinned, pulling my finger out of my mouth slowly. Did he have a hard on? "I cut my finger, must've been a splinter." I pointed at him, so he could see the bead of blood forming on the tip of my finger.

"Oh." he nodded, shakily, setting my plate on the table. He sat down across from me. After sitting in silence for a few moments, he grunted and adjusted his feet, brushing one of mine under the table. "What do you think of Ginny?" he asked, clasping his hands under his chin.

"She's nice. Why?" I glanced up between large forkfuls of food, I was so hungry I wasn't even paying attention to what I was eating.

"I don't know. What about Hermione."

"Smart." I was talking as little as possible, shovelling food into my mouth.

"Do you like Ron?"

"Well, yeah," I looked incredulously at him, "He's my best mate."

"Oh. Right. Er..."

I looked at him, his detective work was getting a little annoying, all I wanted to do was eat. If he wanted to know something, why didn't he ask right out?

"Uh. Did you have a crush...on Sirius?"

I looked at him, expecting him to be joking, smiling, on the edge of laughing. No, he was serious. Searching for a connection. I knew the face, because I had made it not a half hour ago in the bathroom when I asked him if his parents had hurt him. So my voice was a bit softer than usual when I replied. "No. I didn't. Did you?"

"What?" His voice cracked a little. "Yeah. I guess so. We dated (here, he coughed) for a while, before your parents died."

"Oh." I went back to eating my dinner.


	3. Yes, I Do

Title:Yes, I Do!  
Rating: PG (man love abounds!)  
Disclaimer: Yadda yadda..see chapter one or two, if you really care.

* * *

"Has your finger stopped bleeding?" he asked me, desperate to change the subject.

I dropped my fork, it landed with a clatter on my near empty plate, and inspected the tip of my index finger, "Yeah, I think so," I said, squinting.

"How's the food?"

"It's alright." I heard him sigh and lean back in his chair, his foot brushed mine again, but jerked away quickly this time.

"This feels like a one sided conversation." He tried to come across as relaxed, but his comment was hurried. And I knew from experience he was only talking to cover up the arousal touching me had conjured. It happened to me far too often.

"Just trying to eat," I explained. Finally, my plate was empty and I dropped the fork again. It landed on the wooden surface of the table with a low thud and I looked up at him. His eyes were half closed and he was looking at me from just beneath his eye lids. "Tired?"

"I always am." He shifted again, sitting up in his chair.

"What usually helps you get to sleep?" I pushed my plate to the side and rested my elbows on the table.

"Nothing, well, no, Sirius used to." He looked up quickly, he seemed to realize what he had just said – the information he had just let slip.

"Doesn't thinking about him help?"

"No. No." He shook his head, choking on his words. I'm positive that I saw light tears working their way down his cheeks. "The first moon after he left was so hard. Then Tonks tried to help, I think it hurt her feelings, but I just...it wasn't her I wanted, you know?"

I nodded slowly. There was an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. For some reason, I had always known, somewhere in the back of my mind, I had known that Remus and Sirius were together; but that didn't mean I liked the idea. It didn't even mean I was ok with it. I clambered on top of the table, and started to work my way across the surface, knocking my coffee mug over, black liquid pouring out. Remus looked up at me, eyes wide. I finally got to where he was, put a finger on his lips and he backed away.

"We can't do this..." His voice was throaty, I knew he could, he wanted to.

"Yes, we can." I put a hand on his face, ran it down his cheek onto his neck and chest. He backed further away, falling off of his bench and onto the floor with a loud clattering. I jumped down next to him, landing quietly. He was lying on his back, breathing heavily, his chest heaving up and down in an erratic pattern.

"Harry..." I straddled him and pushed his hands over his head. "Harry, this isn't what you want." I shook my head. I ran my fingers over the soft underside of his arms and bent down to kiss him. Suddenly he shot up. "Stop it!" He put his hands on my shoulders, frowning. "This isn't what you want. You're just doing what you think I want. Harry, stop it." I was running my hands over his torso, and he grabbed my wrists to stop me. I could feel his werewolf strength in his grip.

"Remus...you're hurting me."

"Tell me you'll stop, it Harry. You're not an easy shag. You're my best mate's son."

"Please, just let go. You're really hurting me." I gasped when his grip tightened. His eyes turned to a more yellow color and he almost growled.

"Tell me you'll stop! Sod it, Harry, this isn't what you want!"

"Ok. I'll stop!"

He dropped my hands and relaxed. I collapsed against his still heaving chest while he ran a hand through my hair.

"I'll stop, but this is what I want."

"You can't say that. You don't know what you'd be getting yourself into." He sighed, sitting up and pushing me away from him, a little. "The thing is Harry, most children who have been sexually abused-"

"Don't even talk about that." I screwed up my face.

"But it's true Harry. Kid's who have been-"

"That has nothing to do with anything! Don't you get it? I. Love. You." I put my hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer to me. But he put a hand on my sternum to hold me back.

"You just think that, Harry."

"I do not!" I was crying now, I tried to look up at the ceiling to stop the tears, but they wouldn't go away.

"Harry, you just think you love me because I came and got you today. You're feeling a lot of things right now, and you're confusing your emotions."

"I'm not stupid!" I retorted, glaring at him and pushing still wet hair out of my face so I could focus on me. "I'm not confusing emotions. I've felt like this for a long time."

"I was one of the first people you met who really knew your dad. You're just trying to-"

"No! Why won't you just listen to me?" He was infuriating me, I wanted to get up and run as far away from him as I could. I was burning inside, and he seemed to be appraising me with a cold, medical stare.

"Harry, even if you did love me, and that's hypothetical! Even if you did love me, I'm 16 years older than you."

"So what? I've known couples that are _20 _years apart."

"Like who?" he smirked, knowing my answer would be '_no one.'_

"Ok. Fine, I've known _of _couples. But, age is beside the point. Come on, Remus." I purred a little, laying back down on him.

"Harry, your dad was one of my best mates. It's just...morally wrong." He ran a hand through my hair.

"That's not true and you know it. You don't think it's wrong."

"Yes...I do."

But I could tell his resolve was failing him.

"Anyways, I'm a werewolf. Do you know how dangerous that would be for you?"

Or maybe not.

"It wouldn't be dangerous! You know the precautions you need to take to keep the ones around you safe. You were with Sirius, weren't you?"

"He was an animagus!" He sat up and I slid back on his lap, just above his knee-caps, wrapping my legs around his waist to hold myself there.

"So?"

"It wasn't as dangerous for him. He couldn't be turned into a werewolf. You could."

"You could take the wolfsbane, like you did when you were at Hogwarts." I cocked an eyebrow, frowned at him. "You'd be really sweet."

"Wolfsbane doesn't make me _sweet_ it just lets me keep my head while I'm in werewolf form."

"I think you would make a sweet anything." He scratched his head and looked at me, almost like I was a puppy and he trying to decide whether to buy me or not. "Look, just let me stay on this moon-"

"No! It's too close to the moon, the wolfsbane won't be ready!"

"I'll lock myself in our room!"

"Our room?"

I nuzzled his neck and I heard him let out a sigh. "I'll lock myself in and I won't come out until dawn."

"I don't know if I want you to see me all scratched up."

"I'll take care of you." I stared at him. Puppy dog eyes had always worked before and they couldn't fail me now – it was one of the huge perks of having my mum's eyes.

"You? I always take care of myself, Harry."

"After lying in a puddle of your own blood for two days because it's too painful to pick yourself up."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Right. I'll let you see, just so you'll understand how horrible it is," he interrupted himself when my face lit up, "then, you decide. Because Harry," he pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist, "I love you, too." He was whispering, as though scared someone might hear. Suddenly, he stood up, picking me up with him.

"Ah! Remus, where are you taking me?"

"To bed."

I raised an eyebrow and purred.

"Not like that, you cocky little sod. We'll need some rest, tomorrow we've got to werewolf proof the house for you."

"I said I'd stay in our room?" I questioned as he carried me up the stairs – for a 33 year old man, he sure was strong.

"I can't just lock you in there, Harry. I'll make it so you can have the first floor and Moony can have the second."

"That's a lot of space."

"He's used to having an entire house all to himself." He laid me down on the bed and pulled out a t-shirt and pair of boxers (mine, of course, from my trunk) and tossed them at me. He turned so I could take off the towel and slip them on in its stead, and then climbed into bed. He made sure there was at least six inches between us before taking his wand and magicking out the lights.

"Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Remus."

------------------------

The next morning, I woke to Remus shaking me lightly, a cup of coffee in his hand. He had already dressed, it seemed, but sat down next to me. The sun was filtering in through the curtains; it had to be at least noon. I took the mug from him and sipped it, smiled at him.

"How do you know that was for you?" he joked.

I frowned, "You want it back?"

"No." He laid down on his back and put his hands on his stomach. "Are you sure we're doing the right thing Harry?" He turned his head to the side awkwardly to look at me.

I rolled over and set my coffee down on the nightstand, put on my glasses, before turning back to him. I put a hand on his chest, close to where his heart would be. "Does it _feel _right to you? Do you love me? Do you want me?"

His eyes widened and he stared at me for a moment. A blush crept onto his cheeks and slowly he nodded.

"Me too. It feels right, I love you and I want you. If all those things match up, it has to be the right thing." I laid my head down on my hand and he wrapped one of his arms around me, the other toying with my hair.

"Do you even own a hairbrush?" he joked.

"I resent that statement," I mumbled noncommittally into his arm.

"That's a no, then?"

"I do!"


	4. Snitches

Title: Snitches  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: See first two chapters

* * *

"We really ought to start proofing the house, soon."

"The moon's not for three days." I moved my head so that my cheek was still on his chest, but I was looking at him. I ran a thumb over the underside of his chin and he turned to look out the window.

"It's going to take a while. We've got to put wards on every door, and somehow make it possible for you to get to the bathroom."

"Why don't I just take the second floor then?"

"Or the third." Remus put his thumbnail in his mouth and bit down. "I need the second floor."

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow, rolling off the bed so I could get dressed.

He blushed again, before rolling onto his stomach and putting his head in his hands. "Moonyvellbantasvellyou," he mumbled.

"What?" I turned around, buttoning up one of my shirts, still in my boxers (golden snitches were flying back and forth across a red background).

"Ugh. Moony will want to smell you." His cheeks were bright red and he dropped his face into his pillow.

"Why?"

"He always does. And before, the scent that was left over from when you and Ron were here was enough. But now, that you've been here, in this bed...well, the fresh scent is going to drive him mad. Especially if he can't get to it."

"Oh." I sat down next to Remus and ran a hand over his back. He arched, reacting to the contact.

"Time to get started, Harry." He rolled his body back over and picked up the mug of coffee, draining it.

"That was really for you then?" I felt guilty for stealing his coffee.

He shrugged and grinned, "For both of us." He chucked a pair of socks at me while he walked down the stairs.

-------------------------

After 2 days, we had finished 'proofing' the house. It took more spells than I had learned at school to make Remus feel assured of my safety. He had received a letter from Mrs. Weasley, asking if I would like to come and stay at the Burrow for the next few days, '_to give you some privacy, Remus.'_ He had sent her a letter back replying that, no, everything was fine, we were taking care of the situation. She had replied with an anxious letter, asking us to come around for tea and talk to her about the arrangements. We were planning on going that evening, but we still hadn't sent a reply. "We should go out and get something to eat," he said, rolling his blue sleeves back to normal and walking to towards where our cloaks were hanging.

"What about the Burrow?"

"You know Ron's mum will barrage you with questions. I don't know about you, Harry, but I'm feeling a little exhausted from all this work. Do you want to go?"

I shifted uncomfortably. I loved Mrs. Weasley, but Remus was right. I wasn't in the right state to deal with her (sometimes) overbearing affection today. "Where will we go?"

"We could go to Hogsmead?"

"That's a ways."

"Harry, you can apparate now, remember?" he asked me, taking his cloak off of a hook and wrapping it around himself.

I shook my head, "I know," I told him, grabbing my cloak as well, "I just don't like how it feels. I'm normally a bit off, after...Dumbledore."

"We could do side-along then?" He smiled kindly at me.

I nodded and wrapped my arm around his. He glanced at me, rose flushing my cheeks, and wrapped an arm around my waist before we disappeared. We popped back into reality in front of the Three Broomsticks, and I grinned, remembering the time I had snuck in with Ron and Hermione under my cloak – listened to my professors talk about Sirius Black _the murderer_. That was the same year I met Remus. It had to be fate. He pulled his arm away from my waist, and gently pushed me off of him, before pulling off his cloak and walking inside. The door jangled as we walked through and he picked out a table near the back wall. He called Madam Rosmerta over to us and asked her to bring us some drinks. She saw me and faltered in her step. After last year, I think she felt some guilt over the course of events – but I knew she didn't have a choice. Having undergone it more than once, I know how difficult the Imperius curse is to throw off. I smiled benignly up at her as she took our order. Remus turned to me and brushed some hair out of my face, "Her mother worked here before she was pregnant with her. Then, Rosmerta was born and raised. When her mother passed away (Rosmerta was 16) she took over."

It wasn't that I didn't find what he said interesting, I just felt there were more _pressing _matters. "Uh, Remus, could you tell me how exactly I'm to heal you?"

"Can't we talk about that later, Harry?" he frowned sadly. He had been enjoying himself and I had ruined it. Bloody Hell.

"Sure, of course, Remus." I smiled at him, nudging his toe with mine under the table. He pulled his away quickly and shot me a meaningful glance. "Not here, Harry." He hissed the words through gritted teeth.

I leaned back in my chair and smiled, "You only make it more obvious when you do that."

"Don't lean in your chair like that."

I cocked an eyebrow, and my smirk grew, "Why not?"

"You could fall."

Madam Rosmerta brought our drinks over, set them down on the table, slopping a little over the sides of the tankards, and smiled at us both before walking away.

"Talked to Ron, lately? He asked as he took a sip of his drink – it was steaming, whatever it was.

"Yeah. No. I haven't talked to him since the end of last year."

"Not too long ago then, is it?"

"No, I guess not." I smiled at Remus, "I think I'll write him tonight. What did you get to drink?" I smiled coyly at him, tried to grab at his mug.

"No way Harry."

"What? I'm of age." I frowned, sticking out my bottom lip.

"But I'm paying. I don't want you drinking it."

"If it's out of my own pocket…?"

"Well," he sniffed, "I suppose I couldn't stop you then."

I smirked, "It's fine, I just wanted a taste. But if you're going to be so greedy."

He let out a snort and shoved the mug towards me. I took a sip (having learned my lesson: Never gulp down something that steams) It seemed to coat my tongue in fire. "Bloody hell, what is that?"

"Speedy Snitch."

I chuckled, "Catchy name."

"Mhmm." He nodded, taking a swig.

-------------

When we got back home, Remus went to his study to read and I crawled into bed, my injuries had been sufficiently healed by Remus, but some of the old ones were still taking a lot out of me as they healed themselves. As soon as I closed my eyes, a fresh wave of memories washed over me.

_Harry's face against cold metal. In the backyard, on his bare knees, in the snow. Uncle Vernon's hand clamped over his mouth, stuffed so far in Harry was gagging on it. His only pair of pants that fit: soaking in ice and blood. Uncle Vernon's heavy grunts as he pushed into Harry. The boy's tears freezing on his face. _

I opened my eyes and stared at the sheets before me. I couldn't get what had happened out of my head. Bleary-eyed, I headed downstairs to the study, not the least bit surprised to find Remus reading something at his desk. He looked up when I opened the door.

"Harry, what's wrong?" He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around me, resting his lips on my forehead.

"Bad dream," I mumbled, my arms limp at my sides.

He took a step back and ran his hands down my arms. "Come on, we'll sit and talk." He pulled me over to a squashy sofa and pushed me down onto it before sitting next to me. He put one arm around my shoulders and I laid my head on his chest. "So what happened?"

I could feel his voice rumbling inside his chest and I closed my eyes. "Uncle Vernon." He didn't say anything, but ran a hand through my hair. I pushed away from him a bit, looking at his eyes. Boy – did he look tired. "Isn't there anything you can do to make them go away?"

"Your relatives?"

"No," I shook my head, "The nightmares they caused."

He pulled be back onto his chest and enveloped me with both arms. "I promise, I'm going to try."

------------

We had fallen asleep on the couch like that, and the next morning, when I woke, Remus was gone. He had woken before me for the last few days, so I wasn't worried, but I did miss his body heat. I got off of the couch and went upstairs to get dressed, found Remus in the bedroom, towelling out his sopping hair. "Morning, Harry." He gave me a lopsided grin before grabbing the slacks he had set on the bed (which he had, by the way, made) and pulling them on.

"How long have you been up?" I asked, dropping onto the bed, picking up his sweater.

"Only a half hour or so."

"Why are you always up so early?" I asked, pulling a loose thread away from the garment.

"You know I have trouble sleeping." He smiled at me before taking the sweater out of my hands and tugging it over his head.

I smiled back. "And I have trouble sleeping when I'm not with you, so maybe you could stay with me a little longer, next time?"

He laughed softly and put a hand on my shoulder, "Go take a shower, Harry."

I looked down at myself, then back up at him, "I'm not that dirty."

He shook his head, "Go on."

I came down to kitchen 45 minutes later to find Remus at the table. I walked to the cupboard and grabbed some cereal. He said nothing while I poured the flakes into a bowl and drowned them in milk. Finally, when I couldn't stand the silence, I spun around, "Remus, what's going on?"

He smiled at me. "I was waiting for you to ask. I contacted Horace –"

He what?! "You what?! You didn't tell him about...you know...did you?"

"Of course not, Harry. I wouldn't betray your trust. I told him I was having trouble sleeping; I was having nightmares. He said he'd have something over by tomorrow." His grin grew a little bigger. "You'll have something to take on the full moon. Nice, huh?"

"Yeah. Sorry I assumed..."

"It's okay. That's a normal thing to do in your kind of situation. It's going to take a while to being around an adult you can trust."

I just raised an eyebrow, since, by now, I was spooning massive mouthfuls of cereal into my mouth.


	5. Despite It All

Title: Despite it All  
Rating: PG-13 (naked men romping around the house with wounds)  
Disclaimer: Old hat.

* * *

Remus fell onto his couch. It was about 8 o' clock, and he did _not _look good. We had eaten at Hogsmead before walking around, popping into the various stores to look about. After a while, he had started to lag behind me, so I forced him home. I think he felt a little bad about making me come home so early, but he needed time to tell me just how I was supposed to make him feel better in the morning, anyways. We set up a makeshift bed for me in the study and while we were unfolding the blanket, Remus started telling me certain spells and what to use them on.

"In the cupboard, there's a green potion. I'll need that as soon as you can give it to me. Some of my bones split when I transform and…" I nodded. "There's also a dark purple potion," he continued as he passed me a pillow. I ran my hands over his before taking it. "You take that tonight, before going to bed; it'll help you sleep."

"Thank you." I sat down on the bed we had made and Remus fell down next to me. "Do you think you could give me a list of those spells? Those ones you told me about tonight?"

He put an arm around me, reaching in to his pocket with his free hand: he pulled out a folded piece of parchment. "I already made one for you."

I took it from him. "See how well you know me?"

"I never said I didn't." He frowned momentarily before getting up. "The moon's rising."

"Let me come with you. Let me stay with you."

"Harry…"

"Not all night," I stood up and grabbed his hand. His was warm and firm around my small, clammy one. "Just until it starts to happen, then I'll leave."

"But – "

"I promise."

"It's just that-"

"Please?"

He smiled sadly, "Fine, I guess so. But you have to promise to leave as soon as you see the moon has fully risen." I nodded, and continuing to hold my hand, he led the way upstairs, pointing his wand at the open archway at the top of the stairs. "Padfoot." When he said the password, the air in the archway turned purple and we walked through the haze. I knew the password to leave, as well, but Remus didn't. I thought that was pointless, but he called it a 'necessary precaution'. He led me to our room, tugging the blinds open. "I have to be able to see," he explained, and then he started unbuttoning his shirt and blushed as I looked on. "I don't want to ruin my clothes," he mumbled as he folded his shirt and set it on the bed. Next came his socks, then he undid his belt and shimmied his pants off. He was standing in his boxers and quite red in the face. He pulled the leather belt out of its loops and rolled it into a spiral. He folded his pants and put them on the pile before picking it up and walking over to the wardrobe. He stuck everything inside before locking the cabinet doors.

I lied back on the bed and put my hands behind my head. "It's okay, you know" I said," You don't have to explain everything to me."

"Oh, right." He ran a hand through his hair and then he was suddenly on me. His face was inches from mine; I could feel his arousal pressing into my leg. His body was straddling mine and I could feel heat emanating from his every pore. He leaned down, his lips muting any words I might try to say, before he drove his tongue into my mouth. He was pushing my hands above my head, exposing the skin on my waist. Frenzied, he yanked my shirt off my head, skewing my glasses in the process. I heard the fabric hit the floor with a soft thud. And he was moving down my body, kissing licking every part of me. He stopped at my nipples and held me down while I writhed under his weight. A light moan escaped my lips and I twisted trying to give him more access. When I did, I saw out the window.

"Bloody –" The moon was up, shining like an evil beacon. "Remus! The moon!" I tried to shake myself from underneath him, but he seemed to have lost all sense. "Remus, you gotta let me go!" He pushed down on me suddenly and I felt his body shudder. _Shit!_ I tried to get out from under him, heard multiple cracks as all of his bones broke. I wriggled away in time, but felt his claw reach for my ankle when I grabbed the door knob. "Ahh!" A searing pain ran through my entire foot and I fell back – face to face with a full grown werewolf. I had nowhere to turn, so I tried desperately to make eye contact with Remus. It didn't work. Saliva dripped down Moony's jaw as he snarled and snapped at me. Slowly, I crawled toward the bed, just inching past him. I felt his eyes – following my every move – the entire time. I closed my eyes and crawled underneath the mattress. I was amazed that he hadn't attacked me. But now he was angry that I had gone and hidden on him. He threw things around the room, howling. Once, he jumped on the bed and I feared I might be crushed under his weight. After a few hours, Moony seemed quiet, so I poked my head out from my hiding place.

He was resting on a pile of clothes: My clothes. And so I decided it was now or never that I would be able to chance the distance from my spot to the door. I crawled out and made a break for the door. I didn't stop running until I got to the stairs, and even then, it was only to yell out, "Prongs!" (the password). I heard Moony chasing me the whole way. I ran down to the couch, gathering the blanket around me, soaking up Remus. I was still breathing hard and shaking. The clock blinked 4:30 AM. In about two hours, the sun would come up and I would go to help Remus. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. At 6:30, a quite alarm woke me. I clicked it off and a feeble "ting" rang out, as though it had to get the last word in. I did my jeans up (but when had they come undone?) and headed the kitchen, grabbing the green bottle, before going upstairs. The ward was down, so I just walked through the hall, looking for Remus. Finally, I found him, curled on his side on the t-shirt from last night, bleeding from a gash on his arm. I walked over to him and bent down, "Good morning, Remus."

He groaned and blinked, "Ugh…"

"Come on, you've got to sit up and drink this." I pulled his potion out of my back pocket and un-corked the top. Slowly, he raised himself and I stuck one knee behind him to hold him steady. He was hanging his head and his arms were loose at his sides. He tilted his head back after I put a finger under his chin and he let the liquid trickle down his throat, not really taking it all in. I wiped the green off his neck with the shirt he had been lying on. "Tough night?" I tried to be nonchalant, and act like nothing was wrong, but it seemed Remus already knew.

"Don't play dumb, Harry!" He croaked and brushed my hand away, groaning before leaning back on my leg, "I attacked you last night."

"Well, I wouldn't say you _attacked _me, per say…" I smiled at him, hoping there was an air of carelessness about me.

"Let me see your feet."

"Why don't you go take a shower first?" He shook his head. "Oh, right, you can't get up on your own yet." I stood to help him, but when I did, he grabbed my ankles, flipping me over so he could look at my heel. I landed on my stomach, on the ground, felt the wind being knocked out of me. His fingers tread softly over the healing cuts.

"I did this?" His voice cracked and his grip on my foot slackened. I rolled over and scooted towards him, in between his legs.

"No, _you _didn't. That wasn't you. That was Moony. Not you."

"Moony and I are the same person, Harry." He said as I helped him stand. He winced, but seemed fine otherwise. "We may have different personalities, but we're the same person."

"Let's not worry about that now. Our biggest priority is to make you better."

"Harry…"

"I'm serious. I won't be able to make you feel better if you don't want me to – you've got to try, at least."

He slumped his shoulder and sighed, "Fine, but we're talking about this later…"

I nodded, "That's all I was asking for." I steered him to the bathroom from behind and plunked him down on the toilet. "Stay there, I'll run a bath."

"Huh?"

I shrugged, "Maybe _you _can get yourself healthy without being clean, but I'm not that talented."

He nodded sadly. "Did you sleep last night?"

"For about two hours." I said, letting the water rush over my hand.

"Did you take the potion?"

"No."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't know," I turned to him, smiling, "I guess I just didn't need it."

"Why'd you only sleep two hours, them?"

"I was thinking of you," (which wasn't a lie).

He blushed and crossed his legs, "Harry, I know you don't want to talk about this right now,"

"No, I don't," I said, stuffing the stopper into the drain.

"But I need to know," he said, standing up. He put his hands on my shoulders, and looked my square in the eyes," Did I…did we…have…sex last night?"

My eyes widened for a moment, "No…No, don't worry."

He closed his eyes and sighed, "Good, I wouldn't want our first time to be like that."

I nodded and helped him to edge himself into the tub. I dipped my hand into the water and ran it over his face, wiping away some blood from last night and I felt him shiver, "Are you ok? Am I hurting you?"

"No," his eyes were still closed, but he grabbed my bare bicep. "It's just different. I never let anyone do this for me. Not my mom or dad, or even Sirius. Not anyone." He pulled me toward him and kissed me on the lips. I was using my hips and free hand to support myself against the tub's side. His tongue pushed open my mouth as I ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"Remus?" I pushed back a little, he looked hurt.

"You don't want to do this anymore? That's ok, really, I'm fine. No – "

"Remus! Of course I do… It's just that, this is only my second relationship, and my first real one. Can you…show me…?" I felt my face get hot while he looked me over. "I'm sorry," I turned my head from his stare, "Sorry to ruin the moment."

He ran a hand down my cheek bone, asking me to look at him, "Harry, you didn't do anything wrong. This is how it works. When you love someone you teach and you learn. There will be other, better moments. Come here." And without thinking, I climbed in, jeans and all. I wrapped my arms around him and he returned the gesture, his arms around my torso, "Lesson one…" He chuckled and I sighed into his collar bone.

---------

After I actually got Remus clean, I helped him totter to the bedroom and collapse on the bed. He lay on his side and extended his arm to so I could heal his wound. I pressed the tip of my wand to the already healing gash and mumbled a spell, watching the skin melt together like candle wax. Remus mumbled something I couldn't quite hear. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No, I'm fine – really. I'll tell you if you're hurting me."

"Sorry, I just worry about it."

"It's alright, you can stop apologizing."

"Right." I left him on the bed and turned to pull out some pyjama pants for him, "I'm starving. Do you want something to eat?"

"Just some soup," he said, shifting to pull his pants, "I can't stomach much else."

"Okay," I smiled, "I'll be back in a moment – don't move."

He smiled sadly, "I can't."

As I left to walk downstairs, he rolled over, grabbing a pillow. The stairs squeaked under me, and I looked down, caught a glimpse of my bloody foot prints and made a mental not to clean them up before Remus was out and about. There was a container a potato soup in the ridge, but unsure if he could eat the potatoes, I just heated the broth for Remus. I made a quick meal for myself, in too much of a hurry to care much about what I was eating. I avoided the smears on the stairs as I balanced the tray on my hand. Remus eyes were closed and he was snoring lightly.

"Come on, Remus. You've got to wake up and eat." He grunted lightly and rolled over, clearly trying to block me out and get some much needed rest. I set the tray on the night stand, watched it balance precariously on the edge before lying next to Remus. I ran a hand through his hair, down the nape of his neck. "Has anyone asked you about me at all?" I questioned, curing the little wisps of hair around my fingers.

"No." Remus spoke groggily and rolled over, looking at. "What would I say, Harry, were they to find out? What would Sirius or James say? What about Lily? They would all call me a pervert. A child molester." He buried his face in my pillow.

"That's not true, you know it. Everybody would just be happy that we found love. They'd be happy we had someone."

"But Harry," he moaned, gripping on the waistband of my jeans, "I changed your diaper."

"And I gave you a bath," I frowned. "You're not a pervert, Remy. You love me. You haven't molested me. If anything, I've molested you."

He blushed, "I can't help myself," he mumbled, the words barely slipping over his teeth.

"I didn't catch that."

"I can't help myself," he said, more loudly. "I feel like it's wrong, but I love you so much. The man you've become. The lovely person you've always been." He reached a hand over and ran it down the side of my face, "Despite everything I should feel, I'm in love with you."


	6. Competition in Courtship

Title: Competition in Courtship  
Rating:PG  
Disclaimer: These things are soooo boring.  
A/N: Well, here it is. It's been...FOREVER since I've posted a chapter for you guys, but as an extra special treat for your unwavering patience (if you've come back), I went through and re-wrote all of the chapters. They are now compliant with HBP and DH (to come in future chapters). It'll all make sense even if you don't go back and re-read, but feel free to do so if you'd like. Love to all of you, and I promise you'll never have to wait that long again.

* * *

"I don't think there's a rule book for these kinds of things, Remus." I frowned down at him.

"No, but there are standard ways of behaving. Traditions. Courtships has existed for years, and we're breaking two of the norms: age and gender."

"Okay, if we're talking about courtship, here, first of all, you should know, the age divide has been HUGE before." I grinned at him and he scoffed.

"But, Harry, not –"

I picked up his bowl of soup and shoved the spoon into his mouth. "Will you just shut up with your doubts and eat already? I slaved over a hot stove for about 10 seconds to make this!" He laughed, spitting warm soup all over me, and put a hand to his mouth, his eyes wide with shock. "Now," I sat up, "was that really necessary?"

"Don't make me laugh. It hurts."

"Okay." I pushed another spoonful to his lips before he grabbed the bowl and utensil from me.

"I can feed myself, you know, why don't you eat your sandwich?"

There was a tap on the window, so I got up and walked over to it, letting Pig into the room. He flitted around happily and landed on Remus' head, holding out a letter to me on his tiny leg. I untied it and picked the twittering owl up, setting him down in Hedwig's cage so he could have some water. "Ron says his Mum's out of her mind with worry. Bugger! Remus, we forgot to reply to her letter. Here." I jogged out of the room to the den on the next landing, and grabbed a quill. "Ron, I'm fine! Tell your mom I'm so sorry, Remus and I just forgot to reply. We'll come over tomorrow." Sprinting back to our room, I attached the letter to Pig's leg and dropped him out the window. "I told Ron we'd come visit tomorrow. You'll be fine by then, right?"

Remus nodded, tipping the last of his soup into his mouth. "But Harry, and please don't be upset, but I'm not sure I'm ready for anyone to know about us."

"Well, I can't not tell Ron and Hermione, but I promise we won't let anyone else know, okay?" I sat down cross legged next to him and he put a hand on my knee, nodding, before he closed his eyes and his breathing slowed. I swallowed thickly, and tried to ignore the prickling sensation in the back of my eyes. Remus and I had only been together a short while, I knew, but it was still hard to recognize that, somewhere, in the back of his mind, Remus thought this was wrong.

I got up off the bed quietly and walked down stairs to clean up the bloody footprints and then continued the study. With everything that had happened so far, I hadn't had time to think about the Horcruxes, which now weighed so heavily on my mind. I know Dumbledore hadn't wanted me to tell anyone other than Ron and Hermione, but weren't things different now that I was in a relationship? Had Dumbledore taken romance into account? What if I fell in love? Didn't my partner deserve to know what I was doing, running around the country side with two other people?

Questions made my mind reel until I felt sick with confusion and had to sit down on the desk to keep from falling over. Of course Remus would trust me with Ron and Hermione. Ever since we had first met in my third year, Remus had never shown anything but trust in my judgement, but I still couldn't imagine leaving him with only the knowledge that I was on a mission from a dead man. I choked at the thought. It was difficult to come to grips with the fact that Dumbledore had died only a short while before.

A ringing doorbell and Mrs. Black's screaming roused me from my reverie. I hopped up and jogged down the hallway to the door. It was fruitless to try and pull the curtains back on my own, but maybe the guest at the door could help me. I pulled it open and was greeted with a shock of pink hair. "Watcher, Harry." Tonks stepped into the house, but as soon as I closed the door, her hair melted into a mousy brown mass on her head, she suddenly looked tired and drawn. Without asking, she helped me shut the curtains on Mrs. Black. "Sorry about the doorbell, it's hard to remember all the rules sometimes. Is Remus here?" The question she had been waiting to ask spilled out of her mouth like hot lava, and she looked at me sadly. I knew she didn't want to ask why I was still there.

"He is, he's just sleeping. He was pretty banged up this morning..."

"He let you see him? He always makes me wait at least 12 hours."

"Um, he wasn't...he didn't want me to." I finished lamely, feeling a horrible sense of pity for her. I would never want to cause Tonks pain, and I felt a little guilty for stealing Remus right out from under her variably shaped nose. "I kind of forced myself on him. I mean, to help him!" I stumbled over my words, trying to make it sound like everything was perfectly platonic here. "Since I was here, and all."

"Oh, right," she nodded slowly, before turning to go up the stairs. "I'm sure he won't mind if I just pop in to say hi, right? I do it almost every month." She said this as an afterthought, not waiting for me to answer before tromping up the stairway. Not that it really mattered anyway, what could I say? '_Oh no, I don't think that's the best idea. You see, my clothing is all over the floor and he doesn't want anyone to know that I've been sleeping in there with him, that we're in a relationship. So maybe it would just be best if you waited here for a few moments while I dash up there and tidy up a bit."_ Somehow, I couldn't see that going over too well. So I followed her up the stairs cautiously, and stayed about a yard behind her as she opened the door. "Harry?" Remus rolled over and opened his eyes a crack, before sitting upright as though someone had prodded him with fire. "Tonks! What are you doing here?!"

"I told you I'd come see you, Remus." I needn't have worried about my belongings scattered about the room, Tonks had eyes only for Remus. "So here I am. How are you? Can I get you anything?" She walked lightly over to the bed and crouched next to him, putting a hand on his forehead. I felt anger bubbling up in my stomach. Her words stung. Even though I knew she didn't mean to, Tonks was insinuating that the care I provided was inadequate to Remus' needs. I got the sudden urge to throw her out the window, but managed to control it.

"No, thank you, though." Remus whispered, already starting to close his eyes again, melting back into the mattress. "Harry's taken very good care of me."

Tonks' eyes narrowed, but she quickly hid her jealousy. "Oh, he has?" she asked sweetly. "Good then, I guess you don't need me. Well, I'll see you at the Burrow tomorrow. I was going to come over for tea as well, as long as that's okay with you two?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Remus opened one eye, I could see his chest start to rise and fall more quickly.

Tonks glanced around the room, finally taking in all of my clothing, my trunk, my watch on the nightstand. "I just wouldn't want to interrupt...anything."

Remus struggled to sit up again, he was using far too much energy at the moment, I could see him struggling to focus. "You didn't interrupt anything here, and it would be the same there. Nothing's happened." His voice was slurring, this couldn't be right. I saw him sway as Tonks opened her mouth to reply.

"Tonks!" I finally spat out. "I don't think Remus is feeling well enough to continue this conversation now. Why don't you talk to him later?"

"Oh yes, little nurse maid Harry makes all the rules now, does he?" She turned to me, standing up.

"Tonks, don't." Remus tried to stop her, but she ignored his pleading. She starting stepping toward me, her wand pointed at my chest.

"Look at him," I told her, trying to stay calm. An angry auror is a dangerous one. "He's still weak. It's taking too much energy out of him."His eyes were closed again, as he let his head drop against the wooden head board with a painful _thunk_. "Why don't you and I go sort this out downstairs?"

"Yeah," she seemed to realize what she was doing and lowered her wand. "Yeah, that's a good idea."


End file.
